Ice block form

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure extends to apparatuses, methods, and systems for freezing a liquid suitable for use by a frozen confection machine. The apparatuses, methods, and systems include a two-piece form suitable for producing a dense ice structure.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.62/531,311, filed Jul. 11, 2017, which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety, including but not limited to those portionsthat specifically appear hereinafter, the incorporation by referencebeing made with the following exception: In the event that any portionof the above-referenced application is inconsistent with thisapplication, this application supersedes said above-referencedapplication.

BACKGROUND

Frozen confections such as snow cones and shaved ice have becomeincreasingly popular and the need to produce ice suitable for frozenconfections has increased. Machines for conditioning the ice used infrozen confections may be produced to accommodate an ice block of aparticular size. What is needed are systems and methods for efficientlyproducing ice that is structurally sound and configured to be used by afrozen confection machine.

Many systems and attempts to produce structurally sound andappropriately sized ice blocks use extruders or elaborate freezingsystems that require dedicated space rather than a simple commercialfreezer unit. U.S. Pat. No. 3,684,234 to Clinebell, issued Aug. 15,1972, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in itsentirety, represents one attempt to provide a form for making an iceblock in in a home freezer, which has flexible side walls held in placeby bands and bolts and a lid that secures to hold a bag placed in theform closed to define a dead air space at the top of the bag and betweenthe bag and sidewall sections and is intended to be disassembled forstorage. Such forms are formed from multiple small pieces made ofincreasing the likelihood of mis-assembly and lost components.

A system that provided ice block forms of a simple one-piececonstruction that allowed for expansion during freezing of the block andfacilitated removal while reducing the cost and number of components ofthe form would be an improvement in the art. Such a system that allowedfor stacking in a manner that facilitated freezing of multiple blocks ina single freezer while providing ice blocks that are structurally soundand configured to be used by a frozen confection machine would be afurther improvement in the art.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure extends to apparatuses, methods, and systems forfreezing a liquid suitable for use by a frozen confection machine. Theapparatuses, methods, and systems include forms suitable for producing adense ice structure.

In one illustrative embodiment, an ice block form has a base forming afloor and sidewalls that rise to an open top. One or more expansionjoints may be formed as slits or gaps between the sidewalls at cornersof the form. One or more flanges may be disposed at an upper edge of thesidewalls. In some embodiments, a stacking member formed as a generallyplanar member with an elevation structures disposed on a first surfaceand retaining structures on the opposite surface may be used to coverthe open top of a first ice block form to define an insulative spaceabove water in the first form for producing dense ice structure, whilealso supporting the base of a second ice block form above the firstform, allowing stacking of the forms with a space therebetween formovement of air in freezer for efficient freezing of multiple blocks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Non-limiting and non-exhaustive implementations of the presentdisclosure are described with reference to the following figures,wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout thevarious views unless otherwise specified. Advantages of the presentdisclosure will become better understood with regard to the followingdescription and accompanying drawings where:

FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded perspective view of an ice form inaccordance with the technologies and features of the disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of an ice form in accordance with thetechnologies and features of the disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded side view of an ice form in accordancewith the technologies and features of the disclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates an exploded perspective view of an ice form inaccordance with the technologies and features of the disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates an aerial perspective view of an ice form inaccordance with the technologies and features of the disclosure;

FIG. 6 illustrates an aerial perspective view of an ice form inaccordance with the technologies and features of the disclosure;

FIG. 7 illustrates an aerial perspective view of a plurality of iceforms in accordance with the technologies and features of thedisclosure; and

FIG. 8 illustrates an aerial perspective view of a plurality of iceforms in accordance with the technologies and features of thedisclosure.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another ice form in accordance with theteachings of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 are top side, bottom side, front side, rearside, and right side views, respectively of the ice form of FIG. 9.

FIG. 15 is a plan view of a blank for forming the ice form of FIGS. 9through 15.

FIGS. 16, 17, and 18 are top, bottom, and side views, respectively of astacking plate for use with the ice form of FIGS. 9 through 15.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of an ice block form and a liner forforming and ice block.

FIGS. 20A and 20B are side and sectional front views of a series of iceforms and stacker plates in accordance with FIGS. 9 through 19 stackedfor use in making multiple ice blocks.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure extends to apparatuses, methods, and systems forfreezing a liquid and conditioning ice in a form suitable for producingfrozen confections. More specifically, the disclosure extends to formsfor efficiently freezing water in a shape suitable for a frozenconfection machine such that the ice is suitably strong for producingshaved ice. The features and advantages of the disclosure will be setforth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparentfrom the description, or may be learned by the practice of thedisclosure without undue experimentation. The features and advantages ofthe disclosure may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentsand combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles inaccordance with the disclosure, reference will now be made to theembodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will beused to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that nolimitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended. Anyalterations and further modifications of the inventive featuresillustrated herein, and any additional applications of the principles ofthe disclosure as illustrated herein, which would normally occur to oneskilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure,are to be considered within the scope of the disclosure claimed.

Before the structure, systems and methods for producing ice aredisclosed and described, it is to be understood that this disclosure isnot limited to the particular structures, configurations, process steps,and materials disclosed herein as such structures, configurations,process steps, and materials may vary somewhat. It is also to beunderstood that the terminology employed herein is used for the purposeof describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to belimiting since the scope of the disclosure will be limited only by theappended claims and equivalents thereof.

In describing and claiming the subject matter of the disclosure, thefollowing terminology will be used in accordance with the definitionsset out below.

It must be noted that, as used in this specification and the appendedclaims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referentsunless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

As used herein, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “containing,”“characterized by,” and grammatical equivalents thereof are inclusive oropen-ended terms that do not exclude additional, unrecited elements ormethod steps.

As used herein, the phrase “consisting of” and grammatical equivalentsthereof exclude any element or step not specified in the claim.

As used herein, the phrase “consisting essentially of” and grammaticalequivalents thereof limit the scope of a claim to the specifiedmaterials or steps and those that do not materially affect the basic andnovel characteristic or characteristics of the claimed disclosure.

Referring now to the figures, FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded perspectiveview of a form 100 for producing ice. The form 100 includes a structurecomponent 110 and a base component 120. The structure component 110includes two structural sides 112 and a structural back 114, eachconfigured to surround a bag filled with a liquid. The base component120 includes a base 122 and a side 124. Each of the base 122 and theside 124 includes a lip 126. The base component 120 is configured toslide into the structure component 110 such that the base 122, side 124,the structure sides 112, and the back portion 114 form an enclosedspace. The base 122 forms a base for the complete structure.

The form 100 is configured to hold a bag comprising a liquid for anextended period as the liquid is frozen. The sides 112, 114, 124 of theform comprise four sides surrounding the bag comprising a liquid. Thesides and the base 122 form the structure of the frozen liquid.

In an implementation, the sides 112, 114 have a height from about 15inches to about 25 inches. In an implementation, the sides 112, 114 havea height of 19 inches. In an implementation, the side of the basecomponent has a height from about 15 inches to about 25 inches, and mayparticularly have a height of about 19 inches. In an implementation, thelip 126 extends out from either of the base 122 or the side 124 adistance from about 1 inch to about 2 inches, and may particularlyextend a distance of about 1 1/16 inches. In an implementation, the base122 is a square having a side length from about 5 inches to about 10inches, and may particularly have a side length of about 6.5 inches. Inan implementation, the base 122 is a rectangle.

In an implementation, the area formed by the sides 112 and back 114 ofthe structural component 110 is smaller than the area of the base 122.In such an implementation, the structural component may slide into thebase component 120. The back 114 of the structural component 110 may besituated against the lip 126 attached to the base 122.

FIG. 2 illustrates a generally front view of a form for producing ice.The form includes a structural back 114 attached to a structurecomponent 110. The form includes a side 124 attached to a base component120. The base component further includes two lips 126, wherein one lipis attached to the side 124 and one lip is attached to the base 122.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded side view of a form for producing ice.The form includes a base component 120 and a structural component 110.As illustrated in FIG. 3, the base component 120 and the structuralcomponent 110 may fit together such that the structural component andthe base component form a five-sided structure. In an implementation,the five-sided structure is placed in a freezing compartment and a bagcomprising a liquid is placed within the confines of the five-sidedstructure. The bag comprising a liquid may then conform to thefive-sided structure such that the liquid freezes in a block form. Theliquid may then be removed from the bag if desired.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exploded perspective view of a form for producingice. The form includes a structural component 110 and a base component120. As depicted in FIG. 4, the structural component 110 and the basecomponent 120 are formed such that the structural component 110 mayslide on to the base component 120. The structural component 110comprises three sides that may combine with the base and the side of thebase component 120 to form a five-sided structure having a base. Thebase component 120 includes two lips wherein one lip is attached to thebase of the base component and one lip is attached to the side of thebase component 120.

In an implementation, at least one of the three sides forming thestructural component 110 is tapered such that a bottom area formed bythe three sides of the structural component 110 is smaller than a toparea formed by the three sides of the structural component 110. In animplementation, the side of the base component 120 is angled to form anobtuse angle with respect to the base of the base component. In eitherof these implementations the form is configured to ensure that a liquidwithin the confines of the form freezes first on the bottom. Ensuringthe liquid freezes first on the bottom can improve the structure of thefrozen liquid such that it is less likely to break or crumble understress.

In an implementation, the side of the base component 120 forms a rightangle, or a near-right angle, with the base of the base. In animplementation, the sides are straight and a bottom area formed by thethree sides is similar to a top area formed by the three sides.

FIG. 5 illustrates an aerial perspective view of a form for producingice. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the structural component 110 may slideinto the base component 120. The side 124 of the base component 120 maycombine with the plurality of sides of the structural component 110 toform a five-sided structure having a base. The base component mayinclude two lips, one lip attached to the base of the base component 120and one lip attached to the side 124 of the base component 120. The lipattached to the base may extend up an exterior of the structuralcomponent 110 and help secure the structural component 110 in place. Thelip attached to the side of the base component 120 may extended outwardfrom the form 100. As depicted, two vertical expansion joints S1 and S2are formed between the plurality of sides and the base component toallow for expansion of the ice during freezing.

FIG. 6 illustrates an aerial perspective view of a form for producingice. As illustrated in FIG. 6, a bag comprising a liquid may be placedwithin the five-sided form. The form 100 may hold the bag comprising theliquid for an extended period such that the liquid freezes in the sameshape as the form.

FIG. 7 illustrates an aerial perspective view of a plurality of formsfor producing ice located in a freezer. As illustrated in FIG. 7, a bagcomprising a liquid may be placed within the five-sided form for anextended period such that the liquid freezes in the same shape as theform. In an implementation, the side 124 of the base component 120 formsan obtuse angle with respect to the base 122 of the base component 120.In an implementation, the three sides 112, 114 of the structuralcomponent 110 form right angles or near-right angles with one another.In such an implementation, the obtuse angle formed in the base component120 ensures that the area of the form located near the base 122 issmaller than an upper area of the form located near the open side. Insuch an implementation, the form promotes a liquid to freeze near thebase 122 before the liquid freezes near the top at the open side. Thisprocedure for freezing a liquid can be important for producing astructurally sound solid that can withstand stress without crumbling orbreaking.

FIG. 8 illustrates an aerial perspective view of a plurality of formsfor producing ice located in a freezer, including one fully formed iceblock. As illustrated in FIG. 8, a bag comprising a liquid may be placedwithin the five-sided structure formed by the form 100. The liquid maybe permitted to freeze within the confines of the five-sided structureand then a frozen solid may be removed from the form 100. As illustratedin FIG. 8, a bag comprising a frozen solid is being lifted from afive-sided form. The solid within the bag is frozen to the same shapeformed by the five-sided form.

In an implementation, the form 100 is constructed of sheet metal. Insuch an implementation, the structural component 110 and the basecomponent 120 are cut from sheet metal and bent to form the properstructure. The structural component 110 is bent to form three sides. Thebase component 120 is bent to form a lip, a base, a side, and anadditional lip. In such an implementation, a number of forms 100 may beconstructed of a single piece of sheet metal and shaped to the correctstructure. Further in such an implementation, the form 100 may withstandfluctuations in temperature as the form is placed within a coldenvironment, such as a sub-zero environment, and placed in a warmerenvironment such as room temperature. It should be appreciated that theform 100 may be constructed of any suitable material, such as sheetmetal, a ceramic, a concrete, a polycarbonate, and so forth.

Turning to FIGS. 9-14, a second illustrative embodiment of an ice blockform 1000 in accordance with the disclosure is depicted. Form 100 isgenerally formed as a box having floor defined by a bottom or basemember 1006, and an open top 1100 defined by sidewalls rising from thebottom 1006. As depicted, form 1000 may be formed as a generallyrectangular bock have two opposite sidewalls 1002A and 1002B that arerelatively narrower to define first and second ends of the rectangularform and two opposite sidewalls 1004A and 1004B extending therebetweenthat are relatively wider to define the longer sides of the rectangularform. It will be appreciated that the number of sides and the relativewidths thereof may vary based on the intended use of the resulting iceblocks. For example, the depicted embodiment may produce generallyrectangular ice blocks having a certain size and shape for use in ablock ice shaver for the production of confectionaries. For uses wheredifferent shaped blocks (such as tri-agonal, hexagonal, etc.) would bedesired, differently shaped forms may be used.

Each sidewall 1002A, 1002B, 1004A, or 1004B is joined to the bottom 1006and rises therefrom generally perpendicularly. In the depictedembodiment, each sidewall may be disposed at an angle of generally about90 degrees to the adjacent sidewall. One or more vertical expansionjoints S10, S12, S14 and S16 may be disposed at a corner of the form1000, formed as a slit extending between the respective sidewallsforming that corner and extending from the bottom 1006 to the top of theform 1000. In the depicted embodiment there are four vertical expansionjoints, but it will be appreciated that this number may be varieddepending on the particular usage of a form 1000.

The vertical expansion joints allow the sidewalls to move with respectto one another, providing flexibility for the expansion of a liquid heldin a flexible plastic liner within the form 1000 during freezing. Thismovement also facilitates removal of an ice block for use. Additionally,the flexibility may allow for multiple forms 1000 to be stacked insideone another for storage when not in use.

Each sidewall 1002A, 1002B, 1004A and 1004B may have a lip or flange1012A, 1012B, 1014A, or 1014B, respectively extending outwards at agenerally perpendicular angle therefrom at the top end thereof. Eachflange may extend for a portion or the entire width of its respectivesidewall and may have rounded corners. The flanges 1012A, 1012B, 1014A,and 1014B are generally coplanar.

In an implementation, the form 1000 may be constructed of sheet metal.FIG. 15 depicts a “blank” 1600 cut from an appropriate gauge sheet metalthat may be bent to a proper shape to form the proper structure. Thelocation of required bends are indicated by dashed lines. The resultingstructures are indicated by corresponding reference numerals. The blank1600 is bent to form each sidewall and lip or flange. The use of asingle piece of sheet metal shaped to the correct structure can easemanufacture and reduce costs. Further in such an implementation, theform 1000 may withstand fluctuations in temperature as the form isplaced within a cold environment, such as a sub-zero environment, andplaced in a warmer environment such as room temperature. It should beappreciated that in other embodiments, the form 1000 may be constructedof any suitable material, such as sheet metal, a ceramic, a concrete, apolycarbonate, and so forth.

While the dimensions of form 1000 can vary based on the size of thedesired frozen block, in one embodiment the form 1000 may have a heightand a width of between 3 and 12 inches and a length of between 10 and 25inches. In one particular implementation, it may have a height and awidth of about 6.5 inches and a length of about 19 inches to produce ablock for use with an ice block shaver.

Turning to FIGS. 16 through 18, a stacking member 2000 for use with form1000 in a system for forming blocks. Stacking member 2000 may be formedas a generally planar body 2001 having a first surface 2002, which isgenerally flat and may be referred to as an “upper surface” and anopposite second surface 2003, which is generally flat and may bereferred to as a “lower surface”. Body 2001 may be sized and configuredto cover the open top 1100 of an ice block form when placed thereover,with the second surface 2001 placed on the flanges 1012A, 1012B, 1014Aand 1014B.

A plurality of elevation structures 2004 may be disposed on the firstsurface 2002. In the depicted embodiment, there are four elevationstructures, 2004A, 2004B, 2004C and 2004D. It will be appreciated thatthe number of elevation structures may vary depending on the particularembodiment, but needs to be sufficient to support an ice form 1000 thatis filled with a liquid above the first surface 2002 while maintaining asufficient gap therebetween as discussed further herein. In the depictedembodiment, the elevation structures 2004A, 2004B, 2004B, and 2004C maybe formed as four columnar bodies attached to the first surface 2002.For example, columnar feet or stops that may be formed from resilientmaterial such as a rubberized columnar bumper attached to the planarbody 2001 using a bolt may be used. It will be appreciated that suchstructures are merely exemplary and any suitable structure may be used.

On the opposite second surface 2003 there may be disposed a plurality ofalignment structures 2005. In the depicted embodiment, there may be fouralignment structures 2005A, 2005B, 2005C and 2005D. The alignmentstructures may be structures that extend out from the second surface andare positioned to correspond to the open top 1100 of an ice block form1000 to be inserted therein and reside near the sidewalls thereof. inthe depicted embodiment, there are four alignment structures that willreside near or may even abut, the four corners of an ice block form 1000upon insertion therein to maintain the stacking plate 2000 in thedesired position. In the depicted embodiment, the alignment structuresmay be formed as caps or acorn nuts placed on the threaded shaft of abolt retaining the elevation structures. Accordingly, the placement ofthe alignment structures may correspond to the elevation structures.

Turning to FIGS. 19, 20A and 20B, the use of a system including forms1000 and stacker plates 2000 to form ice blocks is depicted. As shown inFIG. 19, a plastic liner 2300, such as a plastic bag, may be placed inthe form 1000 through the open top 1100 and spread out to the cornersalong the bottom and sidewalls. The liner 2300 may be spread over theflanges. A liquid L to be frozen may then be placed in the form,contained in the liner and filling the form 1000 to an appropriatedepth. The top of the liner may then be gathered, and where desired,closed to isolate the liquid L.

A stacker plate 2000 may be used to cover the open top 1000 of the iceblock form 2000. The stacker plate 2000 resides on the flanges and thealignment member 2003 extend into the open top and retain the stackerplate in position thereon.

As depicted best in FIG. 20B, the stacker plate 2000 defines aninsulative space 2350 above the liquid in the form 1000 between theupper surface of the liquid and the lower surface of the stacker platedue to the air in such space that is isolated from the surroundingfreezer. This space results leads to the production of a desirable denseice structure by encouraging the liquid L to freeze in a “bottom up”manner with the final stages of freezing more likely to occur near theupper surface to avoid trapping unfrozen liquid in the center of theblock during freezing, leading to creaking and an unstable structure.

In embodiments sized as discussed above, the insulative space may have adepth of from about ½ to about 1 inch. It will be appreciated that thissize may be adjusted as the size of the system varies in order tomaintain an appropriate ratio.

A second ice form 1000B may then be placed over the stacker plateresiding on the elevation members 2004 to provide a flow space 2352therebetween while also supporting the base 1006 of the second ice blockform 1000. The flow space 2350 is open to the environment around theforms 1000 and 100A and allows the movement of air in the freezer wherethe forms are placed to underneath the upper form. This encourages theinitiation of freezing the liquid L through the conductive bottom 1006of the form 1000A towards the top insulative space 2350 at the top ofthe form in a freezer in which they are placed to result in a dense iceblock of relatively uniform structure.

It will be appreciated that the uppermost ice block form 1000 in a setof stacked forms may have a stacker plate 2000 placed thereover toprovide the insulative space. Additionally, where desirable for aparticular commercial or residential style freezer where the system isused, a stacker plate 2000 may be placed underneath the lowest form 1000in the stack to provide a flow space 2352 underneath for uniformfreezing in comparison to the forms stacked thereon. Additionally, itwill be appreciated that the number of forms 1000 and stacker platesused in a particular stack may vary based on the size of the freezerwhere it is used. For example, where a commercial chest freezer wouldaccommodate a stack of three or four ice block forms 1000 and associatedstacker plates 2000, that number of assemblies may be stacked. Parallelstacks of the systems next to one another in such a freezer may also beutilized to maximize space.

It will be appreciated that methods of making ice blocks using thesystems and components discussed herein and including steps such asplacing a liner in a form, filling the liner in the form with a desiredliquid, pulling the filled liner taut to remove wrinkles therein toachieve a smoother sider block, placing stacker plates and form in afreezer to obtain proper insulative and flow spaces, freezing theliquid, and/or removing ice blocks from the forms using the expansionjoints to flex the form sidewalls to facilitate removal are includedwithin the teachings of this disclosure.

The foregoing description has been presented for the purposes ofillustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or tolimit the disclosure to the precise form disclosed. Many modificationsand variations are possible in light of the above teaching. Further, itshould be noted that any or all of the aforementioned alternateimplementations may be used in any combination desired to formadditional hybrid implementations of the disclosure.

It should be noted that embodiments shown in the figures and describedherein are intended to be exemplary and that any variations in the sizeand the relative proportions of the individual components fall withinthe scope of this disclosure.

Further, although specific implementations of the disclosure have beendescribed and illustrated, the disclosure is not to be limited to thespecific forms or arrangements of parts so described and illustrated.The scope of the disclosure is to be defined by the claims appendedhereto, any future claims submitted here and in different applications,and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A form for freezing liquids to form an ice blockfor a confectionery use, comprising: a generally planar base; aplurality of sidewalls and rising from the generally planar base todefine an open top; and at least one expansion joint formed as a gapbetween two members of the plurality of sidewalls, the at least oneexpansion joint extending from the generally planar base to the open topand allowing flexible movement between the two members of the pluralityof sidewalls.
 2. The form of claim 1, wherein the at least one expansionjoint is formed between the two members of the plurality of sidewalls ata corner of the form.
 3. The form of claim 1, wherein the at least oneexpansion joint comprises at least two expansion joints.
 4. The form ofclaim 1, further comprising at least one flange disposed at an upper endof a sidewall of the plurality of sidewalls.
 5. A system for freezingliquids to form ice blocks for confectionery use, the system comprising:a first ice block form comprising: a generally planar base, a pluralityof sidewalls and rising from the generally planar base to define an opentop, and at least one expansion joint formed as a gap between twomembers of the plurality of sidewalls at a corner of the form, the atleast one expansion joint extending from the generally planar base tothe open top and allowing flexible movement between the two members ofthe plurality of sidewalls, and at least one flange disposed at an upperend of a sidewall of the plurality of sidewalls.
 6. The system of claim5, wherein the generally planar base has a generally planar shape andthe plurality of side walls comprises four side walls.
 7. The system ofclaim 6, wherein the at least one expansion joint comprises fourexpansion joints.
 8. The system of claim 5, wherein each sidewall isattached to the generally planar base.
 9. The system of claim 5, whereinthe at least one flange comprises a plurality of flanges, each flangedisposed on a separate member of the plurality of sidewalls and eachflange extending outwards from its respective sidewall in a generallycommon plane.
 10. The system of claim 9, further comprising at least onestacking member, the at least one stacking member comprising a planarbody sized to cover the open top of the ice block form when placedthereover on the plurality of flanges, a plurality of elevationstructures disposed on a first surface of the at least one stackingmember.
 11. The system of claim 10, further comprising at least a secondice block form comprising: a second generally planar base, a secondplurality of sidewalls and rising from the second generally planar baseto define a second open top, and a second set of expansion joints formedas gaps between sidewalls at corners of the second form, and wherein theplurality of elevation structures disposed on a first surface of the atleast one stacking member are positioned to reside under the secondgenerally planar base and support the at least a second ice block formabove the first ice block form when the at least one stacking member isplaces over the open top and supported on the plurality of flanges. 12.The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one stacking member furthercomprises a plurality of alignment structures disposed on a secondsurface of the at least one stacking member opposite the first surface,the alignment structures positioned to reside inside the open top andadjacent the sidewalls of the first ice block form when the stackingmember is placed thereover on the plurality of flanges.
 13. A method forproducing dense ice blocks from a liquid for confectionery use, themethod comprising: placing a first plastic liner into a first ice blockform, the first ice block form comprising a generally planar base, aplurality of sidewalls and rising from the generally planar base todefine an open top, and at least one expansion joint formed as a gapbetween two members of the plurality of sidewalls at a corner of theform, the at least one expansion joint extending from the generallyplanar base to the open top and allowing flexible movement between thetwo members of the plurality of sidewalls, at least one flange disposedat an upper end of a sidewall of the plurality of sidewalls, placing theliquid of interest in the first plastic liner; and placing the first iceblock form in freezer to freeze the liquid.
 14. The method of claim 13,further comprising pulling the first plastic liner taut to removerwrinkles in the liner inside the form and gathering the liner top toenclose the liquid.
 15. The method of claim 13, further comprisingplacing a first stacking member comprising a planar body sized to coverthe open top of the first ice block form when placed thereover on theplurality of flanges to define an insulative space between a lowersurface of the planar body and the liquid of interest inside the firstice block form.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein placing a firststacking member comprising a planar body sized to cover the open top ofthe first ice block form when placed thereover on the plurality offlanges comprises inserting a plurality of alignment structures disposedon the lower surface of the first stacking member inside the open topand adjacent the sidewalls of the first ice block form.
 17. The methodof claim 15, further comprising placing a second ice block form on aplurality of elevation structures disposed on an upper surface of thefirst stacking member, wherein the second ice block form comprises asecond generally planar base, a second plurality of sidewalls and risingfrom the second generally planar base to define a second open top, and asecond set of expansion joints formed as gaps between sidewalls atcorners of the second form, and wherein the plurality of elevationstructures disposed on the upper surface of the first stacking memberreside under the second generally planar base and elevate the secondgenerally planar base to define an airflow space underneath the secondgenerally planar base.
 18. The method of claim 17, further comprisingplacing a second plastic liner into the second ice block form; placingthe liquid of interest in the second plastic liner; and placing a secondstacking member comprising a planar body sized to cover the open top ofthe second ice block form when placed thereover on the plurality offlanges to define an insulative space between a lower surface of theplanar body and the liquid of interest inside the second ice block form.19. The method of claim 18, further comprising placing a third ice blockform on a second plurality of elevation structures disposed on an uppersurface of the second stacking member.
 20. The method of claim 15,further comprising placing the generally planar base of the first iceblock form on a plurality of lower elevation members disposed on a lowerstacking member comprising a planar body with the plurality of lowerelevation structures disposed on upper surface thereof of to resideunderneath the first ice block form to define an airflow spaceunderneath the first ice block form.